Hi! Welcome! Your weight loss story is amazing! Congrats on all the hard work! I too gained a few pounds back once I reached my goal so good luck on rediscovering your motivation and healthy mindset! I know you can do it!

"The real person you are is revealed in the moments when you're certain no other person is watching. When no one is watching, you are driven by what you expect of yourself."

We are in the same boat! I've lost and regained a bit and have been trying to get back on track since Jan. I think your words "accountable to myself" captures what maintenance is really all about. Good luck to you on your journey!

A ship in the harbor is safe. But that's not what ships are built for.

Congratulations on a job well done! It is quite an achievement to do what you did. You are now on a new journey of maintenance. It is finding out how many calories you personally need. It just takes time.

Welcome to the team and warm congratulations on your weight loss. I've found a lot of support from members of this team since I started maintaining last September.

I've found that maintenance is a slightly different process after the weight loss and my past experience has been of yo-yo dieting so keeping the weight off is a bigger challenge for me than losing it was.

Welcome. I think you are wise to find ways of making yourself accountable. Another thing I have found useful is to remember that maintaining is a lifestyle which includes nutrition, exercise and having a goal that keeps you heading in the right direction.

Sandy

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew." Saint Francis de Sales

I reached goal in December 2009 and have maintain my goal for four months now. Weight Watchers defines maintence as staying within 2 pounds either way of your goal weight. This is a trial and error process and you have to find out what works for you. Naturally we can't go back to eating the way we used to so it still weighing and measuring portions, exercising drinking our water and tracking our food. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet which is temporary. Congratulations on losing 105 pounds what a wonderful achievement.

I have been in maintenance mode since December and I am trying to get it figured out also. Its hard! Trying to find that happy medium can be so frustrating but I try and be patient with myself and also try not to be too hard on myself.

I also have an all or nothing mentality and that seriously makes it tough at times. I think of this as a work in progress and I am constantly learning to tricks so I can leave the weight off.

on your tremendous weight loss. Maintenance is a matter of finding the right calorie range for you, track you your food always, exercise, and watch you portions. If you are exercising regularly, you can add more calories a little at a time and see how you do. I allow myself a 4 pound range. My Weight Watchers goal is 125, so I have a set amount of points I am allowed rather than calories. My weight range is 121 to 125. If I go over 125, it's back to basics until I'm under again. I prefer to stay around 123-124.

I wish you all the best. Maintenance is sometimes harder than losing the initial wt. I will have maintained two years in June.

"Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective."

I've been on this team a couple or three months so far and I think it's so important to keep up cheerleading for maintaining. I, too, am trying to learn the ropes of maintenance, and get some of that much needed moral support.

Hi! I have been on Sparkpeople for over two years, and have lost 105#, and am trying to maintain. I gained back about 15 of it over the last year, and am trying to refocus and find a way to do this without an "all or nothing" mentality. I am trying to run again, I am sore, but getting in the groove. I also have found a new trainer that is working with me a couple days a week. I need that accountability, because, even after 2+ years...I can't always be accountable to me. I look forward to being a part of this team and learnign from others, how they make it all work.

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